In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop! recorded on-site at the 2024 Food Safety Consortium, our hosts Matt and Francine sit down with Rick Biros, the mastermind behind the conference and publisher of Food Safety Tech.

From escalator woes to high-level discussions on FSMA 204 and food safety culture metrics, this episode captures the pulse of a post-pandemic industry ready to level up. Whether you're an industry vet or a newcomer, get ready for insights and a healthy dose of laughter.

In this episode:

💩 [01:41] Kicking things off with Rick Biros

💩 [04:30] The escalator strikes again! Why venue logistics matter

💩 [06:55] The value of a conference: education & networking

💩 [08:59] FSMA 204, listeria outbreaks, and why the food safety industry is “waking up”

💩 [11:06] Chemical testing rising

💩 [13:16] The AFFI partnership: how collaboration upgraded the agenda

💩 [17:17] Women in Food Safety Breakfast: growing stronger every year

💩 [19:37] What’s next for Food Safety Tech: more projects & purpose

💩 [22:12] Measuring food safety culture

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Visit: https://foodsafetytech.com/

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ We've not really been paying a lot of attention from a regulatory standpoint on chemical testing. That's been all Europe's big issues. Now with forever chemicals and a lot of the other issues, we're going to see an increase in the aspect of analytical testing that we've not seen in a long time in the food industry.” – Rick Biros

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Rick, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

When foodborne illness becomes a life sentence, who carries the burden?

In this gut-wrenching episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine share the devastating story of John Trahar - a once-vibrant entrepreneur now reduced to a shadow of himself after a listeria infection caused bacterial meningitis. It's not just about pathogens and paperwork; it's about people. This episode puts a very real, very human face on why preventing foodborne illness isn't optional.

In this episode:

💩 [05:20] Introduction to Bill Marler

💩 [05:57] Listeria strikes again: backstory on the Mexico potato connection

💩 [07:54] The devastating effects of listeria

💩 [14:32] What bacterial meningitis means for a human body

💩 [19:00] John’s wife’s emotional reality

💩 [22:10] Family fallout: Impact on their teenage son and family business

💩 [28:43] Where's the FDA? Lingering questions about traceback and accountability

💩 [30:51] Why storytelling matters in food safety culture

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Check out Bill Marler’s blog: https://www.marlerblog.com/

The case that we’re talking about today: https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/a-tragic-listeria-illness-and-the-search-for-the-cause/

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ Dying from listeria is probably one of the worst ways to die. [...] It's perpetual pain.” – Matt Regusci

“ I wouldn’t want to live with listeria. I would prefer to die.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

When a fired Disney employee went full villain and hacked into the company's menu system, the consequences weren’t just petty - they were potentially deadly.

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine dive headfirst into the bizarre true story of a rogue ex-employee who changed prices, dropped profanities, and worst of all, tampered with allergen info on Disney’s restaurant menus.

From food defense to the overlooked cybersecurity risks in food service, this is one story where food safety, tech, and a little insanity collide.

In this episode:

💩 [05:19] A fired Disney employee hacks into Disney’s menus

💩 [09:12] From paternity leave to felony charges

💩 [11:44] How allergen tampering crosses a deadly line

💩 [14:21] Trying to understand the motives behind the menu hacking

💩 [16:41] Software security failures and food safety

💩 [21:24] Who should have access to menu allergens?

💩 [24:06] Understanding the severity of allergen tampering

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Find the past episode on hacking and food safety here: Some Growing Food Safety Threats That Most Don’t Think About But Can Gravely Affect Your Facility | Episode 116

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ I don't think they would've thrown the book at him as much as they did until he started jacking with allergens because that's changing it from a bad prank [...] to manslaughter.” – Matt Regusci

“ I understand being angry, but the things that he did went beyond hurting the company. [...] Some of them could have killed people.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

Is your wheat toast a weapon waiting to happen?

In this eye-opening episode of the Don't Eat Poop!, our hosts Francine and Matt unpack a disturbing real-world threat: the smuggling of a biological weapon-grade fungus into the U.S. food system.

From fusarium head blight to potential global famine, they connect the dots between agroterrorism, supply chain vulnerabilities, and why food safety professionals need to think like defense strategists. It’s not paranoia, it’s preparedness.

In this episode:

💩 [04:38] Francine and Matt recap their global webinar on the future of food safety

💩 [05:11] Bioterrorism: Why internal threats are often more dangerous than external ones

💩 [06:55] The case of the Chinese doctoral students smuggling fusarium head blight (FHB) into U.S. labs

💩 [08:52] A breakdown of FHB’s economic and food security impact

💩 [13:37] Global catastrophe potential: How disrupting the Western Hemisphere’s grain supply could trigger a worldwide famine

💩 [17:25] Could bioterrorism reverse decades of food production efficiency?

💩 [22:55] What food producers and processors can (and can’t) do

💩 [31:50] Why training and trust alone won’t cut it

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Check out this past episode on food terrorism: Some Growing Food Safety Threats That Most Don’t Think About But Can Gravely Affect Your Facility | Episode 116

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ I don't think we have to have a nuclear war in order to kill every human being in the United States. A bioterrorist war would do it,” – Matt Regusci

“ I truly believed that everybody just operated to the best of their ability and cared about what they served and how they served it. It was so eye-opening for me when I became an inspector and realized that that was not the case.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

When your cucumbers keep ending up on outbreak lists, it’s time to ask: what the actual food safety fail is going on?

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine dig into the repeat salmonella outbreaks linked to Bedner Growers - and why the phrase “voluntary recall” should still raise your eyebrows.

They dissect how the contamination trail is traced, what might really be behind recurring farm-based outbreaks, and why cross-contamination is everyone’s problem. Whether you're running a farm, a food service kitchen, or just trying to avoid the “poop” in your produce, this one’s a wake-up call.

In this episode:

💩 [03:02] The shift from consumer ignorance to awareness of food safety

💩 [05:32] Bedner Growers: One salmonella outbreak is bad–two is a pattern

💩 [08:02] How tracebacks work

💩 [12:35] Epidemiology 101: What did you eat... a week ago?

💩 [17:16] Farming and food safety: Where does Salmonella come from?

💩 [20:59] Most farms don’t survive a salmonella outbreak

💩 [25:54] Ripple effects: How one farm’s mistake can tank a whole commodity

💩 [32:24] Lessons from Jack in the Box, Chipotle, and other infamous outbreaks

💩 [35:35] Food safety and insurance companies

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Check out the Food Safety News article our hosts are talking about, Bedner cucumbers are back, making people sick once again.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ You can't taste [salmonella], you can't see it, you can't smell it. It's invisible to the naked eye, but not invisible to the human body system.” – Matt Regusci

“All foodborne illnesses are preventable. You get them from eating something that's contaminated. Are we ever going to eliminate all of them? No. But they're all preventable.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this raw and eye-opening episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine tackle one of the deadliest (and most misunderstood) topics in the food industry: food allergies.

Prompted by a tragic case of a mislabeled cookie causing a grandmother’s death, they break down how simple labeling mistakes and casual attitudes toward allergens can have lethal consequences. From cross-contact catastrophes to faux allergy fibbers, this episode dives deep into the real-life implications of allergy mismanagement in both food service and retail.

Whether you're managing a restaurant kitchen, hosting kids at summer camp, or buying cookies at a supermarket, this one’s a must-listen for anyone serious about food safety compliance.

In this episode:

💩 [02:53] Mislabeling leads to a fatal peanut allergy reaction

💩 [05:00] Why labeling systems fail and how POS errors put lives at risk

💩 [05:59] Fake allergy claims and their dangerous consequences

💩 [08:38] The allergy vs. intolerance debate

💩 [13:41] When an NBC announcer had to leave the Kentucky Derby due to allergen exposure on live TV

💩 [15:54] Carrying your EpiPen with you everywhere you go

💩 [20:16] Brazilian nuts can be toxic in high quantities

💩 [23:15] The dangers of cross-contamination

💩 [26:08] Why even lettuce needs label clarity

💩 [29:47] Anaphylaxis as a special need

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Check out the Food Safety News article our hosts are talking about, Family sues Safeway after mislabeled cookie causes grandmother’s death.

Take a look at the last allergen episode, Diving Back Into Food Allergies: Important Data, Recent Deaths, and Hidden Dangers | Episode 58

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ When people say that they're allergic, it desensitizes people to the real fact that people who are actually allergic to this are carrying an EpiPen and this could kill them from anaphylactic shock.” – Matt Regusci

“ There are a million reasons as to why people don't take [food allergies] as seriously as they should, but none of that negates how serious it is. People die.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine dive into the dark, crunchy underbelly of food safety: cockroach infestations.

They kick things off with a recent incident at Erewhon’s luxury tonic bar in Santa Monica, temporarily shut down after cockroaches were discovered in a cabinet. But things quickly escalate when Francine shares one of the worst infestation cases of her career.

The hosts dig into the gaps in pest control protocols, how poor vendor oversight can keep infestations alive, and the often-overlooked realities of food safety enforcement.

In this episode:

💩 [04:07] The cockroach violation at Erewhon’s luxury tonic bar in Santa Monica

💩 [07:59] Francine’s craziest cockroach story

💩 [09:03] What happens when you spray a bad cockroach infestation

💩 [13:17] What it takes for the health department to reopen a restaurant

💩 [16:34] The psychological effect of inspecting a bad cockroach infestation

💩 [18:44] Taking food safety seriously

💩 [20:35] A fill factor

💩 [21:59] What they found at Erewhon’s luxury tonic bar in Santa Monica

💩 [23:05] Where there’s one cockroach, there are thousands

💩 [24:49] Consumer reaction to the Erewhon cockroach violation

💩 [27:20] The need for weekly pest control

💩 [28:44] The expectations of Erewhon’s luxury tonic bar customers

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Check out the Food Safety News article our hosts are talking about, Cockroach violation shuts down Erewhon’s luxury tonic bar in Santa Monica.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“If you're paying 20 bucks for a smoothie or a tonic, you probably don't want cockroaches as the added ingredient.” – Matt Regusci

“[Cockroaches] were inside the milkshake machine. They were everywhere. [...] This does not happen overnight. It took a while for it to get this bad.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms